Namhae: Gems in the Southern Coast of Korea

OVERVIEW

Anytime if we mentioned about the southern part of South Korea, mostly tourist will only crowding and focus on Busan. Undoubtedly Busan is the second largest city in South Korea, and has the largest port in the country. In fact, the 5th largest seaport in the world. Namhae, on the other hand, offer the opposite from the above. You might miss this district/county that is located in South Gyeongsang Province. Namhae may not be popular among foreign tourists yet very popular among local tourists.

Different from the hustle bustle of metropolitan city, Namhae is a small county and coastal countryside in Korea. Yet its location which situated among 70 islands in the southern coast makes it unique. The beauty of the villages nestled on coastal cliffs promises fantabulous scenery. I believe, if you come and stay in Namhae for one night, you can feel the atmosphere of living like local in a Korean countryside and it easily will be the most fond memories of your traveling in Korea. Some of the amazing places and activities in Namhae! *I'll make special post separately for this.

HOW TO GO

For Malaysian travelers, with direct flights from Malaysia to Busan it shortens the travel distance to Namhae. After traveling and sightseeing around Busan, Namhae can definitely be considered as a stop for laid-back short trip before continuing the journey to Seoul. However, if you are traveling from Seoul like me, taking express bus will be less hassle. Details and time taken from Seoul or Busan to Namhae is as follows:

From Seoul: Seoul Nambu Bus Terminal to Namhae Intercity Bus Terminal (4 hours 30 minutes) and cost 34,900 won per trip.
From Busan: Busan Seobu Bus Terminal to Namhae Intercity Bus Terminal (2 hours 30 minutes) and cost 13,000 won per trip

For everyone safety, strict coronavirus prevention measure applies in the bus.

Must sanitise hand before entering bus.
Scan QR code/ dial call safe number provided in front bus for entrance approval.
Eating food is not allowed inside the bus for the whole journey
Wear mask properly covering nose and mouth all the times

GETTING AROUND : NAMHAE TAXI TOUR

Since Namhae is categorized as regional countryside tourism in Korea, one of the biggest challenges is transportation. To get to the attractions in Namhae, call taxi service is widely used. Also, if you can’t communicate in Korean, I suggest to use Kakao taxi application to reserve taxi. An alternative way if you want to use a taxi for the whole day, there is Namhae Taxi Tour service and you need to reserve at least one day earlier with deposit. Details for taxi tour is as follows:

Online reservation https://nhtaxitour.modoo.at/?link=7cyqn083 (**You might need Korean phone number and prepared your list of destination beforehand).
For tour, few options available and its varies with the tour cost:
- 4 hours course : 80,000 won*
- 6 hours course : 120,000 won*
- 8 hours course : 150,000 won*

*For every additional hour, you'll need to pay 20,000 won

The most interesting thing if we use taxi tour service is the driver is very skilled especially with directions and routes. Also, as a muslim, there are some limitations in terms of food; where I only can eat seafood and can’t eat any sort of meat. The driver was very knowledgeable about the restaurants in Namhae and he suggested some restaurants that are indeed famous among the locals. In addition to it, the driver also knows many interesting spots that gives Namhae justice haha. I highly recommend Mr. Nam because his service is excellent! My trip of two days one night was very safe and comfortable. Thanks to Mr Nam I had the best time in Namhae.

WHERE TO STAY

In Korea, if you are traveling to any coastal city, the top option to stay is definitely a pension with sweeping ocean views. There are many choices of pension that suits your financial budget. I stayed at Macaron Pension which cost around 70,000 won for 2 persons. This pension located at southern part of Namhae called Namyeon!

Here some snapshot of my beautiful ocean view pension. Also, I made short reels on instagram touring the pension. Check here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CQub6JFBpVh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

A little tips for accommodation, I'd suggest you to stay at this area because Namyeon is a coastal cliff area where it promises views of the blue ocean, green hills and clear skies during the summer. I made a booking through the Yanolja App. However, globally known applications such as Agoda or Booking.com also offers a variety of options with a variety of prices that suit your travel budget.

These are some of the important general things you should take note when planning a trip to Namhae. I had great times traveling and exploring Namhae. In the next post I will list the interesting places, point of attractions in Namhae including thrilling outdoor activities. Besides tips on photo spots, I also shared some restaurants in Namhae that focus on seafood cuisine where can be suggested menu for muslim tourists.

*****Quick peek!